I was skeptical as I purchased my 4th iPad, the new iPad mini on Friday when it arrived at my local Apple store. I was expecting lower performance or at least to be unimpressed by the smaller screen size. But in the end, this could be one of the best holiday gifts this season, especially for children.

Overall, the iPad mini is great for reading, including book apps and has access to a sea of iPad content for education and gaming. The smaller size can be a downside for video (especially since the iPad Mini lacks the retina display & processor of the latest iPad), and this tablet may not be ideal for advanced gaming experiences, but is more than enough for most users.

You can also see our updated device comparison grid, including our ratings of content selection & prices for education and reading apps for the iPad Mini, full size iPad 2/3, Nook Color, Kindle Fire, and Nexus 7.

Carisa Kluver is the the editor of Digital-Storytime.com, an iPad children's book review site. She has a BA in Anthropology from UC Berkeley and an MSW from the University of Washington. Before starting this project, she was a school counselor, health educator and researcher in child & maternal health.